Càphê Roasters is “the first and only Vietnamese specialty coffee roaster in Philadelphia”. The wife-and-husband team Thu Pham and Raymond John founded it in 2018 on the belief that coffee can bring people together and strengthen a community, and the café came out of winning Shift Capital’s Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge, a competition to revive the neighbourhood. Thu, a Vietnamese American raised in Philadelphia, wanted a gathering place with the flavours of her childhood. Raymond, founder of the educational nonprofit 12 Plus, saw a way to create jobs for the students and alumni it supports. The name comes from the Vietnamese expression “đi uống cà phê”, an invitation to slow down and connect.

The coffee comes mainly from Vietnam, with other lots from Southeast and East Asia and the Pacific Islands. The signature Vietnamese beans are a microlot from Lam Dong, grown by 38 smallholder arabica producers in the Central Highlands at 1,400 metres on the red basalt soil known locally as “Bazan Red Land”. Everything is roasted in small batches at the Kensington café, and the Vietnamese beans are roasted for cà phê sữa, the traditional coffee with condensed milk, to bring out their almond-like, chocolatey character. The range includes the Vietnamese Espresso Blend, Sixth St. Gold, a True Robusta, Kensington Rise and Kensington Kindeng, as well as instant coffee, phin filters and condensed milk for brewing at home.

The café is a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, and its bánh mì was named among the best hoagies in Philadelphia by Bon Appétit. Càphê donates a significant share of its profits to 12 Plus and employs students and alumni from its partner schools: three-quarters of the team are graduates of the School District of Philadelphia and 12 Plus partner schools, working as baristas, roasters, chefs and managers. The coffee is also served in restaurants and cafés across Philadelphia and beyond, and sold as whole beans in stores.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Càphê Roasters